October 2, 2020

Texas Children’s is celebrating our multicultural team and the rich fabric of our culture throughout October as part of Global Diversity Awareness Month, the annual observance that reminds us all of the positive impact that diverse workforces make on our society. (Click on the graphic above for a full view.)

Equity and inclusiveness have been embedded in Texas Children’s foundation since the hospital first opened its doors, and President and CEO Mark A. Wallace has often reaffirmed during his decades of tenure that we believe our diversity is one of the organization’s greatest strengths.

As the nation faced widespread unrest this year in the ongoing struggle for racial justice, Wallace again called on Texas Children’s team members to lead tirelessly in addressing these issues and working to achieve meaningful change – starting within our own organization and workplace, then rippling through our communities to create a tidal wave of action.

In keeping with this commitment, our Human Resources team will be inviting employees across the organization this month to share their thoughts and experiences around diversity and inclusion at Texas Children’s. Each opportunity will be designed to provide a platform for you to tell your own unique story, while also expanding your awareness, respect and appreciation for your colleagues’ varied experiences and perspectives.

Look for additional information about our ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts in your Texas Children’s e-mail and on Connect over the next few weeks, and make plans now to raise your voice in an upcoming survey about how we can continue to cultivate an even more diverse and inclusive culture.

Did You Know?

Together, Texas Children’s One Amazing Team is a very diverse group. In fact, fully 66 percent of our employees represent ethnically diverse backgrounds – a more diverse workforce overall when compared to health care organizations nationally. When compared to the local population, our workforce most closely reflects the diversity of the greater Houston area. That’s a significant benchmark to set in one of the largest and most racially and culturally diverse cities in the country.

September 29, 2020

STAR Kids Program Lead Educator Lynette Winters said getting her flu shot every year is a no brainer.

“It’s like exercising and eating healthy,” Winters said. “It’s for prevention. It’s a measure we can take to try and keep ourselves healthy.”

Opera Wagner-Ross, director of member services with Texas Children’s Health Plan, agreed and said she gets her flu shot every year to protect herself, her family, her coworkers and anyone else she might encounter, but that this year, with the pandemic, it’s even more important.

“The last thing I want to do is get really, really sick with either of the two,” she said. “So, I’m here to do my part to make sure I’m safe as well as my coworkers and family.”

More than 5,000 employees have taken the lead in getting their flu shots over the past couple of weeks. If you are one of them, thank you for stepping up. If you haven’t yet gotten your shot, make a plan today and get it as soon as possible.

View photos of your colleagues getting their flu shots below.

Getting your flu vaccine is the first and most important step you can take to prevent transmission of the flu and protect yourself and others – and it’s even more critical this year, with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing and health care systems around the country closely conserving resources.

Employee Health will administer flu vaccines at no cost to Texas Children’s employees; Baylor College of Medicine employees working at Texas Children’s facilities; Morrison, Crothall contract employees; and volunteers at Texas Children’s.

All you need to know about making your flu shot plan can be found at texaschildrensbenefits.org/flu. On this site, you will be able to:

  • View information on the new and convenient ways to receive the flu vaccine. These options include attending an on-site or car-side event at Texas Children’s; visiting the Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice where your child receives care; and getting your shot from your primary care provider or a retail pharmacy. Each option is also detailed on this flyer, which you may spot around your campus.
  • View our robust on-site event schedule, which includes multiple dates and locations across the system to better accommodate our team members’ needs.
  • Schedule a car-side appointment or one-on-one flu appointment online.
  • Complete consent forms online in support of a touchless experience.
  • Review answers to the most frequently asked flu questions.
  • Upload proof of vaccination with a mobile device.

“By getting vaccinated against the flu, you are helping to keep our patients and their families, our entire workforce and our community safe,” said Vice President of Human Resources Jermaine Monroe. “It’s the right thing to do for everyone involved, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other medical experts agree that being vaccinated against the flu is more important this year than ever – not only to reduce the risk of infection, but to help conserve health care resources. So, please, if you haven’t already, make a plan and get your flu shot.”

For a step-by-step guide to making your flu shot plan for this year, visit texaschildrensbenefits.org/flu.

This installment of the “Take Five” series provided by The Psychology Section’s Collaborative on Racial Equity and Inclusion (REI) for Black Youth acknowledges that the month of September is not only Disease Literacy Awareness Month, but also the Awareness Month for Sickle Cell, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Childhood Cancer, Childhood Obesity, and Blood Cancer. Access to high quality health care and other health resources are essential to ensure optimal health for children with these conditions. Yet, African American and Black children with any of these diseases have lower access to health resources and as a consequence experience worse health outcomes.

We encourage you to “TAKE FIVE” and learn about the FIVE diseases and what action steps you can take to increase and promote equitable health care access and services, such as by getting involved in organizations or advocacy, or making a donation:

  1. Sickle Cell Awareness Month: https://www.sicklecelldisease.org/get-involved/events/national-sickle-cell-awareness-month/
  2. Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation: https://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/
  3. American Childhood Cancer Organization: https://www.acco.org/childhood-cancer-awareness-month/
  4. Childhood Obesity Facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
  5. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: https://www.lls.org/blood-cancer-awareness

Texas Children’s Hematology Center participated in virtual celebrations and community awareness activities during National Sickle Cell Disease and Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) Awareness Month.

Throughout the month of September, our Hematology Center staff honored our patients and their families who have been touched by sickle cell disease and ITP, two types of blood disorders that the center treats annually. While this year’s activities were celebrated in a virtual and socially distant way to keep everyone safe during COVID-19, the celebrations not only recognized our patients, but celebrated our hematology staff who play an important role in improving the care and outcomes of patients with blood disorders.

“We look forward each year in September to raising public awareness about sickle cell disease and ITP,” said Dr. Jenny Despotovic, director of Texas Children’s Hematology Center. “We are grateful to our patients and to our team, who continue to help us advance research towards developing novel treatment approaches to improve the long-term outcomes for patients with these rare types of blood disorders.”

Several highlights from Texas Children’s sickle cell disease and ITP awareness activities included:

Sport Purple for Platelets Day

In recognition of Sport Purple for Platelets Day on September 25, Dr. Jenny Despotovic explains in this video, why we wear purple to show support and advocate for children and adults with ITP, an immune-related blood clotting disorder of platelets that can lead to excessive bruising and bleeding. Approximately 60 to 70 new patients with ITP are seen at Texas Children’s Hematology Center every year.

Making a Mark Virtual art gallery

Presented by The Periwinkle Foundation, the Making A Mark® exhibition showcased art and creative writing by children ages 3 to 22 who have been affected by cancer and blood disorders. The exhibit opens each year in September and this year it was hosted virtually on The Periwinkle Foundation website. The exhibit featured over 130 pieces of art and creative writing made by patients and their siblings. A panel of guest judges selected 15 purple ribbon pieces which they feel convey a positive message about childhood cancer and blood disorders awareness. Click here to access the art gallery.

Sickle Cell Twitter party

To focus attention on the need for research and treatment of sickle cell disease, the 7WT nursing unit partnered with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) for a Twitter party. This year’s theme was “Sickle Cell Matters”. The staff on the unit decorated the family lounge with a balloon wall for photos and gifted their Sickle Cell Disease patients with a token of love. The patients, nursing and physician staff were all invited to join in on the fun. Photos were taken with signs in an effort to increase awareness about sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait during the month of September. In recognition of sickle cell disease awareness month, patients visiting our outpatient clinic received red Mardi Gras beads and red ribbons to decorate and write inspiring messages for others facing this disease.

Hematology staff video messages

To celebrate our patients and their families, our Hematology team gathered virtually to share inspiring video messages throughout the month of September. Click here to view messages from Drs. Titi Fasipe and Venée Tubman, co-directors of the Sickle Cell Disease Program, and Dr. Amber Yates, associate director of the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program.

Other community outreach efforts

Our Hematology staff also engaged in numerous sickle cell disease and ITP awareness activities:

  • Dr. Jenny Despotovic was recently recognized as an Expertscape World Expert in Idiopathic thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), the most common immune hematologic disorder. Despotovic is the editor of the Immune Hem textbook. A number of our hematologists at Texas Children’s Hospital contributed to this textbook. Click here to read more about this scholarly milestone.
  • Dr. Venée Tubman was recently awarded a five year K23 grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for her project, “Characterization of B lymphocyte deficiency in pediatric sickle cell disease.” On September 30, Tubman will deliver a presentation on “The Impact of Race and Racism on Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease” during a webinar hosted by Harvard Medical School that focuses on addressing health care disparities.
  • Dr. Titi Fasipe was an invited co-guest with Mary Hulihan, Dr.PH, of the Centers for Disease Control on a live podcast, Saturday Mornings with Joy Key, on September 12..The podcast was aired on BlogTalkRadio. Also, Fasipe participated in the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Virtual Hill Day and met with congressional staff virtually during the week of Sept 21. Fasipe was selected as a reviewer of the consensus report on “Addressing Sickle Cell Disease: A strategic Plan and Blueprint for Action.” As Chair of the Houston Sickle Cell Collaborative, Fasipe will participate in a panel discussion during the Virtual Sickle Cell Advocacy Summit on October 8 titled “Harnessing the Power of the Collective,” and will provide closing remarks. TCH Sickle Cell Program will have a virtual booth.
  • Dr. Amber Yates participated in a webinar sponsored by the Red Cross – Los Angeles as part of their Community Conversations series titled Sickle Cell: The Heroes and the Facts. She also presented on the use of Hydroxyurea in the treatment of sickle cell disease for a program called SCD Talks with Agnes, who is the founder of Australian Sickle Cell Advocacy, a community based organization for people with SCD in Australia. Yates was asked to “takeover” the HHS Office of the Chief Technology Officer Twitter handle on Sept. 22 to amplify her voice about SCD and she also participated in the Roundtable on Leveraging Data to Address Sickle Cell Disease hosted by the HHS Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Yates was asked to serve on the Editorial Board for Pediatric Blood and Cancer, and as deputy editor of AAP PREP Hematology-Oncology Editorial Board.

Click here to learn more about Texas Children’s Hematology Center.

The US Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, mandates that every ten years, the country must conduct a count of its population. Today, that count is done by the non-partisan, US Census Bureau for every state and our five US Territories.

Besides knowing how many people live in the United States and our territories, the census informs elected officials, health authorities, school boards, and civic leaders about the communities they serve and the needs of its residents. The 2020 Census will determine how over $800 billion in federal tax dollars gets allocated and apportions how many elected representatives we have in Congress and creates new districts for future office holders. The Census helps state and local leaders decide where schools and health clinics are built, what infrastructure and transportation projects should be prioritized, and informs us of the composition of US households across our great country. For these reasons and others, it is critically important that we all respond to this year’s census.

The average census response rate for the US is 88 percent, but as of early September 2020, Texas is behind this average at 85 percent. This lower response rate means Texas could forgo crucial funding and resources which could then be redirected to other states with a higher response rate.

Every member of our One Amazing Team should perform this civic duty and respond to the 2020 Census questionnaire before the September 30 deadline. We urge you to encourage your family and friends to do the same.

There are four easy ways to respond to the Census and it only takes two minutes to complete!
Secure Internet: For the first time this year, the Census will be available online.
https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-online.html
Respond by phone: The census phone lines are available at 1-800-923-8282.
https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html
A significant undercount would dramatically deprive our region of vital public and private resources for the next ten years! Go to https://www.2020census.gov now and get counted!

Although focused efforts to train employees in the area of cultural competency ends on Wednesday, the health plan will continue to make this mission a priority throughout the year.

The past eight weeks have created space for self-reflection and team discussions around culture. However, the importance of this topic will have an effect that is sure to ripple past the September 30 course deadline.

Stephanie Lyons, an Enterprise Systems Manager, said she has appreciated the recent spotlight that the course has placed on these topics. The spotlight has confirmed her previous efforts to embrace the diversity of her team and allow everyone to benefit from it.

“In late 2019 we began a lunch series called Tasty Fridays,” Lyons said. “It was a time when everyone was encouraged to bring a dish that was unique to their home country or culture. We all could partake, which led to natural discussions around the food and family traditions.”

Lyons said talking about culture was ideal and imperative because her team comes from a variety of countries and continents.

She added that she can appreciate working for an organization that does well in this area and continues to improve. “My team works with Member Services and Marketing and Community Outreach – both areas that are first-contact areas for our members. Those teams work hard to meet diverse language and culture needs. Overall, I think the health plan does a great job at being culturally competent for our membership and each other.”

Take-Aways
  • All health plan employees must take the Cultural Competency course, available on HealthStream by Wednesday, September 30.
  • The 15 national Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards can be found here.
  • To review past Connect stories on this effort, click the following links: Team Discussions, Ideas, Cultural Competency Week, Hayes on The Health Plan.

Melissa Campbell, a transport nurse for Texas Children’s Kangaroo Crew, shares the critical role of our transport team and how their training, passion and shared commitment to patient safety helps keep them strong no matter what challenges they face along the way. Read more